MEDIA
Credentials
Credentials are required for entrance
to the Show Me Center. To request
season or single-game credentials,
please contact Southeast Missouri
Assistant Strategic Communications
Director Morgan Harding by phone (573)
651-2294 or email at mharding@semo.
edu. Credentials can be picked up at the
NCAA pass gate inside the main entrance
of the Show Me Center.
Press Row
Media will be issued assigned seats
court-side on the north side of the Show
Me Center. Press row is reserved for
working media. Professional decorum
is expected at all times. Cheering or
outward expression is strictly prohibited.
Photographers
Photographers working the floor level
at the Show Me Center are required
to shoot from behind the dash lines
along the baselines and must sit on
the floor in those areas. The Strategic
Communication Director may identify
other positions off the court where
photographers may work, provided the
view is not blocking the view of fans. At
no time may photographers work directly

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

from behind the official scorers table and
team benches or in front of any courtside signage. No tripods may be placed
on or beside the court.
Postgame Interviews
All interview requests for Southeast
Missouri student-athletes must be made
to a member of the Southeast Strategic
Communications staff prior to the end
of each game. Student-athletes will be
escorted to postgame press conferences
in the front meeting rooms of the Show
Me Center. Media representatives are
not allowed in the dressing room areas.
Redhawks head coach Rekha Patterson
will address the media during press
conferences after every game and the
opposing head coach will be invited
upon request. Patterson will join press
conferences immediately following her
postgame radio obligation with the
Redhawks Radio Network.
Basketball Email List
If you would like to be added to the
Southeast Missouri women’s basketball
email list to receive breaking news about
the team, please email Morgan Harding
at mharding@semo.edu. The official
athletics website, GoSoutheast.com, is

the best source for up-to-date team
information.

the Southeast strategic communications
staff for login information.

Weekday Interviews
All Southeast Missouri women’s
basketball practices are open to the
media. Interviews will be conducted
before all practices. Please contact the
Strategic Communications office to verify
practice times and locations.

ESPN+
Fans can watch all of Southeast
Missouri’s home basketball games on
ESPN+. All Ohio Valley Conference
games will also be available on ESPN+.
The Southeast Missouri Department
of Athletics will produce the Redhawks
home webcasts this season.

Visiting Radio
Visiting radio stations are required
to make requests at least one week in
advance. The Redhawks Radio Network
provides a courtesy phone line for the
official station of all opponents. Other
stations will be charged a rights fee and
must order telephone lines from the
University Telecommunication Services
by calling (573) 651-2575.
Parking
There is no designated parking for
visiting media at the Show Me Center.
Parking is on a first-come, first-serve
basis, so please arrive early.
Wireless Internet
The Show Me Center is equipped with
wireless internet. Please see a member of

Live Stats Services
Live stats are available for free,
provided by StatBroadcast. Live stat
links for each home game are available
on GoSoutheast.com. Live stats are also
available for free on mobile devices at
SoutheastStats.com.
Statistical Services
Box scores and play-by-play accounts
will be available immediately following
each game. Notes, statistics, scorecards
and other information will also be
available to help with your coverage of
Redhawks Women’s Basketball.

INFORMATION
@GOSOUTHEAST
@SEMOWBB

GOSOUTHEAST

GOSOUTHEAST SEMOREDHAWKS

#LETSSOAR

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

3

MEDIA
REDHAWKS RADIO NETWORK
All Redhawk
Basketball games
will be broadcast
live on the radio
at Real Rock 99.3
FM and online
at GoSoutheast.
com. Erik Sean returns for his
19th year as the “Voice of the
Redhawks.” Sean is the Director of
Sports Operations for Mississippi
River Radio’s eight radio stations
in Cape Girardeau. He is an
11-time winner of the Missouri
Broadcasters Association’s Playby-Play Award and three-time
winner of the MBA’s Sports Award.
Sean will be assisted by Jess
Bolen and various guests.

RADIO NETWORK AFFILIATES

Real Rock 99.3 FM (KCGQ)
Cape Girardeau, Mo.

ESPN 93.5 FM
Cape Girardeau, Mo.

ESPN 1220 AM (KGIR)
Cape Girardeau, Mo.

ESPN 1470 (KMAL)
Malden, Mo.
SEMOESPN.COM
Listen and watch all of Southeast Missouri’s
radio shows throughout the 2018-19 season live online at
SEMOESPN.com. Visit GoSoutheast.com for the
complete schedule of radio show dates,
times and locations.

LISTEN LIVE
4

2018 MEDIA GUIDE

RADIO SHOW
Southeast’s radio show will be on
Tuesdays at Wings Etc. with shows
at both the Cape Girardeau (3047
William St.) and Jackson (2003 E.
Jackson Blvd.) locations. The radio
show airs live from Noon-1 p.m., CT,
on ESPN 93.5 FM and ESPN 1220
AM each week.

he newly-renovated
7,300-seat Show
Me Center (SMC) is
the home of the Southeast
Missouri State University
men’s and women’s basketball
teams. Additionally, the
Show Me Center is the
entertainment, and meeting
hub for the 25O,OOO residents
of the tristate region.
The facility first opened
its doors in the summer of
1987 and celebrated its 25th
Anniversary during the 2012-13
season.
The Show Me Center has
served Southeast Missouri
State University, the City
of Cape Girardeau, and the
citizens of Southeast Missouri,
Southern Illinois, and Western

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

Kentucky by providing quality
concerts, sporting events, topnotch family entertainment,
and a first-rate banquet,
convention, and meeting
facility.
The facility is a jointventure of Southeast Missouri
State and the City of Cape
Girardeau. The combined
SMC and Student Recreation
Center, which received a
complete renovation and
expansion in 1999, were
originally built at a cost of $18
million. During the summer
of 2015, the Show Me Center
underwent an $8 million
renovation that included the
roof, seats, sound and lights,
and a brand new video board.
The building houses the

Redhawks men’s and women’s
locker rooms. The basketball
offices on the north side of the
SMC were completed during
the fall of 2003.
The Student Recreation
Center is adjoined to the Show
Me Center, and it houses the
Redhawks’ practice facilities.
The center has five full
basketball courts (including
two hardwood courts), a large
weight room, six racquetball
courts, an indoor track, two
cardiovascular equipment
areas, a climbing wall, two
multipurpose rooms, and full
locker rooms. The Student
Aquatic Center, which
opened in December 2007,
features a four-lane lap pool,
a recreational pool with a rock

“If you’re going somewhere as a team you
need different personalities committed to a
shared common goal.” - Nick Fewings
This year the team had a photo shoot to express their individual personalities. Each
athlete was asked to take a photo that would best describe themselves. All the athletes took this differently and expressed themselves in the best way possible.

REDHAWK

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

TRADITION

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

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REdhawk

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

Tradition

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

13

ACADEMIC
T

he Holcomb Success
Center offers Southeast
Missouri student-athletes
a place to study and develop as
students and campus leaders.
It is located in the Student
Recreation Center, just south
of Houck Field. The Holcomb
Success Center offers a computer
lab with 18 work terminals, study
areas and rooms for group
meetings. The facility houses the
Southeast Academic Services
staff and main weight room for
Redhawk student-athletes.
The beautiful facility has
enhanced the outstanding work in
the classroom already enjoyed by
Southeast student-athletes.
Last year, the Redhawks
recorded a 3.21 cumulative
grade point average in the fall
and spring semesters. Women’s
tennis paved the way with a

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

3.76 cumulative GPA, while
gymnastics, women’s cross
country and women’s soccer
followed close behind with 3.70,
3.69 and 3.68 marks, respectively.
In all, 211 student-athletes
finished with a 3.0 or higher
cumulative GPA, including 12
with a 4.0 and 115 at 3.5 or better.
That total accounted for over 64
percent of the entire studentathlete population.
During the spring semester
alone, the Redhawks had nine
programs post a 3.10 or better
GPA, including women’s tennis
(3.87), women’s cross country
(3.66), women’s soccer (3.65),
gymnastics (3.60), softball
(3.59), women’s basketball (3.39),
women’s track & field (3.36),
volleyball (3.29) and
baseball (3.17).
Tutors are available for all

student-athletes as needed. In
addition, both attendance and
academic progress is monitored
through regular checks with
faculty.
A special course is required for
all first time student-athletes at
Southeast. The course, which
offers three credit hours, is part
of a comprehensive program
developed to address study skills
and life skills topics, and thus,
enhance retention and academic
success for student-athletes.
Entering student-athletes
are evaluated for academic
preparedness and assigned
to appropriate categories.

Student-athletes can also receive
individualized academic programs
which include meeting with a
mentor bi-weekly to discuss
academic progress.
The Holcomb Success
Center staff works to get
athletes involved in campus and
community projects, as well. This
is done to provide a support
structure and greater opportunity
for academic success. Through
the NCAA’s CHAMPS/Life Skills
Program, the Holcomb Success
Center gives student-athletes
personal and professional skills in
order to facilitate successful and
productive futures.

EXCELLENCE

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

15

SOCIAL
S

tudent-athletes and
coaches at Southeast
Missouri are dedicated to
giving back to the community that
so generously supports them.
Redhawk womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball
student-athletes have
opportunities to participate in
a variety of community service
activities each year. Community
involvement helps provide a
support structure and greater
opportunity for academic success.
We are proud of the level
of commitment shown by our
student-athletes and always
encourage them to participate in
community service projects here
at Southeast.
Southeast student-athletes
also have the opportunity to
participate in the Redhawks
BRIDGE Program. The mission of
the Redhawks BRIDGE Program

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

is to develop a comprehensive
student-athlete development
program by Building Responsible
Individuals and Delivering Gainful
Experiences. This program
provides student-athletes with
both leadership and life skills
experiences through interactive
programming that will prepare
them to be successful in life
after athletics. The leadership
programming will teach studentathletes about Southeastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
culture and allow them to learn,
develop, and apply leadership
skills. The life skills programming
provides educational programs
designed to assist studentathletes in identifying and
applying transferable skills and
experiences to prepare them to
succeed outside of the athletic
arena.

DEVELOPMENT

#LETSSOAR

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

17

COMPETITIVE
S

outheast Missouri’s
Strength and Conditioning
program is committed to
developing the total studentathlete through their experiences
within a competitive training
environment.
Southeast’s weight room
renovations at the Holcomb
Success Center were completed
in January, 2016.
Indoor turf, weights, equipment
and lifting platforms were added
as part of the renovation, which
cost $500,000. The facility now
has more space and equipment to
handle Southeast’s larger teams
or multiple teams training at the
same time. Branding and new
lighting were also included in the
overall project.
The newly-renovated weight
room enhances training with the
best equipment available and is

18

2018 MEDIA GUIDE

able to accomodate larger teams
or multiple teams training at the
same time.
TRAINING PRINCIPLES FOR
SOUTHEAST ATHLETES
1. Reduce the risk of injuries
• If a student-athlete is
injured, he/she will not be
able to compete
at practice or games.
2. Ensure the athletes are
optimally prepared to
compete
• It is our responsibility to
best manage all stressors
that are placed on the
student-athletes body in
order to achieve the best
results on the playing
field.

3. Maximize athletic ability
• We challenge each
athlete, both physically
and mentally, in order to
achieve optimal results.
EXERCISES FOR SOUTHEAST
ATHLETES ARE BASED ON THE
FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:
1. Ground Based Movements
• Athletes compete with
their feet on the ground,
and therefore, should train
that way. The ability to
produce force against the
ground determines how
fast athletes can run and
how high they can jump.

2. Three-Dimensional
Movements
• Athletes must be able to
stabalize themselves in
all planes of movement.
A fancy way of saying
we use free weights
(barbells/dumbbells vs.
machines).
3. Multi-Joint Movements
• Very rarely in sport do
athletes isolate one single
joint at a time. Athletes
can train more muscle
mass at the same time.

SUCCESS

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

19

SPORTS
P

revention. Treatment.
Rehabilitation. Education.
Those are the four primary
phases of athletic training, and
the Southeast Missouri athletic
training staff strives to fulfill all
of those areas when working with
student-athletes on a daily basis.
Southeast student-athletes
are offered the best care possible
by the athletic training staff. The
Sports Medicine department
includes five full-time athletic
trainers, six graduate assistants
and several student assistants.
The staff serves student-athletes
around-the-clock at numerous
facilities on campus.
The athletic trainers begin
treatments and rehabilitation
starting as early as 6 a.m., and are
available until the last studentathlete is through.
There are currently four athletic

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

training facilities on campus.
The staff treats out of the
Rosengarten Athletic Complex,
where the primary training room
is located. There are two other
satellite athletic training rooms,
including one at Houck Field
House and one at the Show Me
Center.
The Southeast athletic
training rooms are equipped
with stationary bikes, hand
weights, therapeutic modalities
and the latest physical therapy
equipment. Each component is
strategically designed to not only
give the student-athlete the best
care, but also to aid in returning
to competition as quickly as
possible.
Southeast Athletic Training has
strong working relationships with
local physicians and two hospitals
in Cape Girardeau. It is from

these hospitals that the Athletic
Training department is assisted
by four orthopedic physicians.
The Southeast Athletic Training
program prides and commits
itself to providing the best
comprehensive, personalized and
efficient healthcare to its studentathletes. Delivery of healthcare
focuses on the prevention and

management of athletic-related
injuries or illnesses, while
adhering to the National Athletic
Trainersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Board of Certification
Standards of Professional
Practice. Our high quality of
athletic healthcare is provided in
combination with the education of
athletic training students.

MEDICINE

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

21

REDHAWKS &
S

outheast Missouri and
Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE:
UA, UAA) announced a
new partnership agreement. The
Baltimore-based global leader in
performance footwear, apparel
and equipment became the
official outfitter of Southeast
Missouri Athletics beginning July
1, 2018.
As part of the multi-year
agreement, Under Armour will
provide on-field and training gear
for 15 sports. Additionally, Under
Armour will outfit members of
the athletic department including
coaches and staff.
“We are extremely excited to
announce our partnership with
Under Armour and BSN SPORTS
to outfit our student-athletes
and coaches with the highest
quality apparel in the market,”
said Director of Athletics Brady

the NCAA Division I level and
are part of the NCAA Football
Championship Subdivision
(formerly I-AA) in football.
Southeast first became a member
of the Ohio Valley Conference
when it moved to NCAA Division
I in 1991-92. The Redhawks have
won 53 OVC regular-season
championships and 18 OVC
tournament titles during their first
26 years in the league. Southeast
also won seven Women’s AllSports trophies in that span.
Southeast Missouri joins the
growing Under Armour roster
of NCAA partners that includes
the University of California, Los
Angeles, University of California,
Berkeley, University of Wisconsin,
University of Notre Dame, Naval
Academy Athletic Association,
University of Maryland, Texas
Tech University, Northwestern

University, University of
Cincinnati, Boston College,
University of Utah, University
of South Carolina and Auburn
University.
ABOUT UNDER ARMOUR
Under Armour, Inc.,
headquartered in Baltimore,
Maryland is a leading innovator,
marketer and distributor of
branded performance athletic
apparel, footwear and accessories.
Designed to make all athletes
better, the brand’s innovative
products are sold worldwide to
consumers with active lifestyles.
The company’s Connected
Fitness™ platform powers the
world’s largest digitally connected
health and fitness community. For
further information, visit
www.uabiz.com.

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

UNDER ARMOUR

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

23

PRESIDENT
D

r. Carlos Vargas became
the 18th president of
Southeast Missouri
State University July 1, 2015,
after having served as acting
president at Kutztown University
of Pennsylvania.
Since becoming president, Dr.
Vargas has launched initiatives to
marshal the resources, leverage
opportunities and address a
variety of challenges and needs
of Southeast Missouri State
University. He has set as primary
goals for the institution the
support for student persistence
and retention.
He has encouraged and
supported the identification
and development of innovative
academic programs, including
bachelor’s degrees in Unmanned
Aircraft Systems, Geographic
Information Science, and

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

industrial and systems
engineering. He has continued
to support the globalization of
the campus through expansion
of study-abroad experiences,
extensive engagement of
international students, and
encouragement of students on
campus and abroad to explore
cultural interaction. He has
championed the work of the
President’s Task Force on
Diversity Education and continued
emphasizing the expectations
for enhancement of the teacherscholar model. Under President
Vargas’ leadership, regional
partnerships and collaborations
have been solidified, including
several joint initiatives with Three
Rivers, Mineral Area and other
community colleges.
Prior to assuming the
presidency at Southeast, Dr.

Vargas served one year as acting
president of Kutztown University,
where he also served as the
provost and vice president for
academic and student affairs.
Prior to his tenure at Kutztown,
Dr. Vargas was at Central State
University in Wilberforce, Ohio,
where he served as provost and
vice president for academic
affairs. He previously served
in several roles at Kent State
University (Ohio) for a total of
18 years, including founding
director of the program on
electron beam technology. He
was also Kent’s associate dean
for research, interim assistant
dean for research and interim
assistant dean for the School
of Technology. He started his
tenure at Kent State in 1985 as
a professor, and continued to
teach until his departure from the

university in 2003.
Dr. Vargas began his career in
higher education at the National
Autonomous University of Mexico
(UNAM), from which he received a
Bachelor of Science in physics.
He earned his Ph.D. in physics
and aerospace science from the
University of Michigan and he has
Master of Science degrees from
Michigan in both physics and
aerospace science. He is married
to Pam Vargas, who currently
serves as director of Research and
Grant Development at Southeast,
and they have a son, a daughter,
and two granddaughters.

VARGAS
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE BOARD OF REGENTS

DONALD G. LAFERLA
President

TINA L. KLOCKE

EDWARD P. GARGAS
Vice President

JAY B. KNUDTSON

PHILLIP M. BRITT

KENDRA NEELY-MARTIN

LUKE M. LEGRAND
Student Representative

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

25

BRADY
B

rady Barke is in his
third year as Southeast
Missouri’s Director of
Athletics.
Barke served as the Interim
Director of Athletics since July,
2015, before being named to the
permanent position of Director of
Athletics on June 7, 2016.
Most recently, Barke reached a
multi-year agreement with Under
Armour. The Baltimore-based
global leader in performance
footwear, apparel and equipment
became the official outfitter of
Southeast Missouri Athletics on
July 1, 2018.
As part of the multi-year
agreement, Under Armour will
provide on-field and training gear
for 15 sports. Additionally, Under
Armour will outfit members of
the athletic department including
coaches and staff.
Academically, Southeast’s
athletic teams recorded a 3.21

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

cumulative grade point average
in 2017-18. Women’s tennis paved
the way with a 3.76 cumulative
GPA, while gymnastics, women’s
cross country and women’s soccer
followed close behind with 3.70,
3.69 and 3.68 marks, respectively.
In all, 211 student-athletes
finished with a 3.0 or higher
cumulative GPA, including 12
with a 4.0 and 115 at 3.5 or better.
That total accounted for over 64
percent of the entire studentathlete population.
During his first year in 2016-17,
Barke introduced Andy Sawyers
as the Redhawks head baseball
coach and worked tirelessly on
two major renovation projects.
Nearly a month after Sawyers
was hired, Southeast Missouri
State and the City of Cape
Girardeau officially broke ground
on Capaha Field. New synthetic
turf, new fencing and a digital
scoreboard in the outfield were

added as part of the $1.8 million
project that was completed before
Southeast’s season-opener. More
improvements are in the works at
Capaha Field.
On Feb. 3, 2017, Southeast
formally dedicated Holcomb
Success Center. To honor
the long-time service and
philanthropy of Dr. John and Judy
Holcomb, the University named
the facility the Holcomb Success
Center located in the Student
Recreation Center-South.
Indoor turf, weights, equipment
and lifting platforms were added
as part of the renovation at a cost
of $500,000. The facility now has
more space and equipment to
handle Southeast’s larger teams
or multiple teams training at the
same time. Barke helped secure
the Holcombs gift, the largest
single cash gift in Southeast
Athletics history.

Major improvements were also
made to the second floor of the
building where athletic academic
services are housed. This space
provides student-athletes with
places to study and features
a computer lab with 30 work
terminals and rooms for group
meetings. Staff members assist
student-athletes with life skills
development, academic advising
and academic progress toward
degree requirements and NCAA
eligibility.
More than $240,000 in
pledges for the Redhawks
Club unrestricted booster fund
has been raised under Barke’s
leadership. It is the largest total
since the 2003-04 school year.
More than $266,000 was raised
in Sponsorship & Marketing
contracts for FY18 marking
the fourth-consecutive year
of Sponsorship and Marketing
revenues.

BARKE
Football and volleyball ticket
sales revenue were the secondhighest total in the last 12 years.
Barke has also worked hard
to enhance Redhawks branding
around the community. Redhawk
banners, S-E! M-O! billboards,
Welcome to Redhawk country
and Your Redhawks yard signs
are prominently displayed all over
Cape Girardeau.
Barke created the Redhawks
Trivia Night & Auction, a sold
out event that generated over
$40,000 in net revenue its first
year. In addition, he launched
the Redhawks BRIDGE program
which provides student-athletes
with both leadership and life skills
experiences through interactive
programming that will prepare
them to be successful in life after
athletics.
Barke, senior associate to the
president and secretary to the
Board of Regents at Southeast,

officially began as Director of
Athletics on July 1, 2016.
Barke served as Interim
Associate Director of Athletics for
Compliance & Student Support
Services before being named the
Senior Associate to the President
and Secretary to the Southeast
Missouri State University Board of
Regents in 2013.
He began his tenure at
Southeast in 2008 as Assistant
Director of Athletics for
Compliance & Eligibility. Barke
previously served as a governance
intern with the NCAA national
headquarters in Indianapolis, and
as a law clerk with the Southern
Illinois University-Carbondale
Department of Athletics
Compliance Office.
Barke has served as a member
of the National Association of
Athletics Compliance (NAAC),
chaired the NAAC Education
Committee, and was a member

of the NAAC Board of Directors.
He has facilitated the NCAA
Regional Leadership Academy,
and served on both the NCAA
Sports Wagering Task Force
and the Olympic Sports Liaison
Committee.
Barke has a juris doctorate
degree from Southern Illinois
University School of Law, an
MBA from Southeast Missouri
State University, and a bachelor
of science degree in biology
from Webster University. While
a student at Webster, Barke was
a member of both the basketball
and golf teams and was inducted
into the Webster Athletic Hall of
Fame.
He and his wife, Halley, are
parents of three children, Mabrie,
Jackson, and Kolbe.

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

27

NATE SAVERINO

DR. ROBERT GREIM

JEFF HONZA

Associate Director of
Athletics/External Affairs

Assistant Director of
Athletics/Compliance

Assistant Director of
Athletics/Strategic Communications

DR SHANNON YATES

BEN FOX

ELIZABETH BRUCKER

BETH EASTER

Associate Director of Athletics/
Senior Woman Administrator

Co-Head Athletic Trainer

Director of Business
Operations

Faculty Athletics Representative

ATHLETICS
KATIE GRIFFIN

KAREN GLEESON

KENT PHILLIPS

PHILLIP LADY

BRAD KOESTER

Academic Services Director

Senior Administrative
Assistant

Coordinator of Facilities &
Event Management

Coordinator of Marketing &
Promotions

Ticket Office Manager

MARCIA HENDRIX

BARB KINSEY

SAMANTHA PAIGE

AMANDA MARTIN

Insurance Coordinator

Development

Acadmic Services
Coordinator

Co-Head Athletic Trainer

RYAN NAPOLI
Strength & Conditioning

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2018 MEDIA GUIDE

KRISTIN JONES

HOLLY REYNOLDS

TATIANNA PARHAM

BILLY HOSKINS

ANDY SAWYERS

Assistant Athletic Trainer

Assistant Athletic Trainer

Sundancers

Cheerleaders

Head Baseball Coach

CRAIG RINGE

MATTHEW KINNEY

RICK RAY

ADAM GORDON

NICK LAGROONE

Assistant Baseball Coach

Director of Player
Development-Baseball

Head Men’s Basketball Coach

Associate Head Men’s
Basketball Coach

Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach

STAFF
KEITH PICKENS

AL MYERS

RYAN LANE

ASHLEY LAWSON

CHRIS LICAMELI

Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach

Director of OperationsMen’s Basketball

Cross Country Coach

Head Gymnastics Coach

Assistant Women’s
Gymnastics Coach

TOM MATUKEWICZ

BRYCE SAIA

JEROMY MCDOWELL

MATT MARTIN

RICKY COON

Head Football Coach

Defensive Coordinator /
Secondary Coach

Offensive Coordinator /
Quarterbacks Coach

Special Teams Coordinator /
Outside Linebackers Coach

Assistant Head Coach /
Defensive Line Coach

GOSOUTHEAST.COM

29

30

JOE UHLS

TYLER FRENCH

BEN BLAKE

GHAALI MUHAMMAD-LANKFORD

JUSTIN DRUDIK

Tight Ends Coach /
Football Operations

Inside Linebackers Coach

Offensive Line Coach

Running Backs Coach

Wide Receivers Coach

RAY SMITH

HEATHER NELSON

PAUL NELSON

MARK REDBURN

KRISTEN JONES

Cornerbacks Coach

Head Women’s Soccer Coach

Associate Head
Women’s Soccer Coach

Head Softball Coach

Assistant Softball Coach

MARY BETH GUNN

ERIC CRUMPECKER

DANIELLE BURBAGE

CHRIS NAVARRO

JULIE YANKUS

Head Women’s Tennis Coach

Head Track & Field Coach

Assistant Track & Field Coach

Assistant Track & Field Coach

Head Volleyball Coach

BOB CRANK

CARLY THOMAS

MORGAN HARDING

ERIC MUELLER

Assistant Volleyball Coach

Assistant Volleyball Coach

Assistant Strategic
Communications Director

Graduate Assistant
Strategic Communications

2018 MEDIA GUIDE

CHARLIE BALCOM
Coordinator of DIgital Media

2018-19
SEASON OUTLOOK
GOSOUTHEAST.COM | 31

Season
Southeast Missouri women’s
basketball is in its fourth season under
the direction of head coach Rekha
Patterson. During the 2017-18 season,
Patterson and the Redhawks finished
14-17 overall and 9-9 in Ohio Valley
Conference play, which tied for sixth in
the league and secured a third-straight
OVC Tournament berth.
In the annual OVC preseason poll,
the Redhawks were picked to finish fifth
behind Belmont, UT Martin, Jacksonville
State and Morehead State.

to have good chemistry on and off the
court,” Patterson said. “We have placed
an emphasis on chemistry in building a
strong team culture.”
Guards
All-OVC guards Thompson and
Adrianna Murphy return to the court
for Southeast. Murphy was named
OVC Defensive Player of the Year after
recording 88 steals and 115 defensive
rebounds last season.

“Tesia is absolutely deserving of this
honor,” Patterson said. “It is always good
when your players can have honors
like these and others in the league
acknowledge their talent and work
ethic.”

“Tesia spent a great deal of time in
the offseason working to get stronger
and to become more efficient,” Patterson
said. “I am looking forward to her
continuing to grow and evolve as a
basketball player as well as a leader.”

Murphy currently is ranked in the
SEMO record books in assists (2nd,
Thompson had 398 points, 164
486) and steals (3rd, 212). The Fishers,
rebounds and a .724 free throw
Indiana native has ranked in singlepercentage in her rookie season with the season records in assists every season
Redhawks.
as a Redhawk.

Last season, SEMO was picked
tied for eighth with Murray State in
the preseason polls. With eight seeds
making the conference tournament, it
The Memphis, Tennessee native
marked the second consecutive year the was named All-OVC Newcomer and
Redhawks were predicted to finish in the Freshman of the Year after last season.
same spot they were seeded for the OVC
Tournament the year prior. At the end
of the season, Southeast was the No. 7
seed going into the tournament.
Sophomore Tesia Thompson was
named to the All-OVC Preseason Team
prior to the start of the 2018-19 season.

Thompson posted 398 points and 164
rebounds in her rookie season as a
Redhawk.

“With a three-year starter at the point
guard position, you feel strong about
Murphy’s leadership and experience,”
Patterson said. “I am looking forward
to her finishing her career on a strong
note.”
Other returnees include Carrie
Shephard and Iyanna McCurdy.
Shephard transferred to SEMO from
Missouri after the 2015-16 season and
has yet to play as a Redhawk due to
injuries. McCurdy played in 22 games
last season where she scored in doubledigits six times.

This offseason, Patterson worked on
developing a sisterhood within the team.
With the new additions to the team, the
focus was getting to know each other
better.

Post
There are four returners for
Southeast at the post position,
Losmie Lutaya, Kennedi Allen, Jessie
Harshberger and Dolapo Balogun.
Losmie Lutaya played in 30 games last
season and recorded a .636 free throw
percentage.

The team worked together in games
and activities such as movies, bowling,
and charades.
“We think it is very important for us

Allen recorded three starts as a
true freshman. Allen also dished out 13
blocks and six steals with 26 defensive
rebounds. Balogun redshirted last

32 | 2018-19 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GUIDE

Outlook
season, but looks to return to the court
this upcoming season. In the 2016-17
campaign, Balogun had 69 points, 73
rebounds and went 15-22 from the free
throw line.

Harshberger returns after recording
62 points and 39 rebounds last season.
She went 10-of-10 from the free throw
line and went 4-of-4 from the line at
Austin Peay (1/6/18). LaTrese Saine
recorded 143 points, 107 rebounds, and
averaged 17.5 minutes per game in 201718. The West Memphis, Arkansas native
had a double-double at Morehead State
(2/8) with 12 points and 17 rebounds.

SEMO’s home game against IllinoisSpringfield marks the annual “Classroom
on the Court” which affords local schools
the opportunity to take a field trip to the
Show Me Center.
The Redhawks begin their 18-game
OVC slate with home games in three of
their first four contests.

New Faces
There are multiple new faces on the
SEMO women’s basketball team this
season. Six newcomers are listed on the
Redhawks roster including two transfers.
Center Celeste Akoro joins the team
from Virginia Tech, and forward Jocelyn
Taylor comes from Moberly Area CC.

The OVC Tournament will be held at
the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. from
March 6-9 for the second-straight year.

“Jocelyn played with a very
successful junior college team,”
Patterson said. “We are looking at her to
bring some experience and to compete
for playing time right away.”
have a good basketball IQ.”
Guard Taelour Pruitt is reunited with
former Crowley High School coach,
Chanté Crutchfield. Pruitt was named
District 8-5A Newcomer and All-Region
First-Team while under Crutchfield.

Schedule
The 2018-19 schedule features
29 games and will tip off on Nov. 6
at Mississippi State. The Redhawks
continue their season-opening threeOther freshmen include guards Sarah game road stretch with visits to Bradley
Balfour (Olmsted Falls, Ohio), and Tionne (Nov. 10) and regional-rival Southern
Colyer (Chicago, Ill.), and center Brittney Illinois (Nov. 14).
Cupp (LaFollette, Tenn.).
SEMO then plays host to Western
“The freshmen have been great with
Illinois (Nov. 20) in its home-opener.
their effort, attitude and work ethic,”
The remainder of the Redhawks
Patterson said. “They do a great job of
non-conference slate involves trips
getting in the gym, they work hard and
to Newark, New Jersey (New Jersey

Last season, the Redhawks won their first ever preseason
WNIT when they defeated Missouri Valley 69-34 on November
14th. The non-conference schedule did not get any easier as six
of the 10 opponents participated in post season play.
In conference play, teams scored 62.3 points per game, this
dropped from the 73.8 points per game the year before. The
opponents went from shooting 42.9% down to 38.8% in 2017-18.
The Redhawks were in the top four in scoring defense, field goal
percentage defense and led the league in rebounding defense
and steals per game with 9.6.

REKHA PATTERSON

Head Coach
Fourth Season // North Carolina A&T, 2001
Rekha (ree-KUH) Patterson is in her fourth season at the helm
of the Southeast Missouri State Women’s Basketball program.
In just three years as a head coach, Patterson has guided
the Redhawks to three-consecutive Ohio Valley Conference
Tournament appearances, a first since the 2007, 2008 and
2009 seasons.
Since Patterson joined the SEMO staff, the Redhawks have
combined for 1,053 hours of community service. In 2015-16,
Southest had 282 hours of community service. In 2016-17, there
was over 430 hours completed and last sesaon they completed
335 hours.
Academically, the Redhawks has averaged a 3.367 GPA
over the last three years. In Patterson’s first year there were
eight athletes named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll. In her
second year there were 11 and last year there were five. After
the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons, Ashton Luttrull received the
OVC Medal of Honor award.
In 2017-18, Patterson mentored Tesia Thompson, the
first to gain All-OVC Newcomer, All-OVC Second Team and
later named OVC Freshman of the Year honors in the same
year. Thompson ended the 2017-18 season with a team-high
398 points. She recorded 51 steals and 164 rebounds in her
freshman campaign.
In 2017-18, Adrianna Murphy was named OVC Defensive
Player of the Year, the first honor for a Redhawk. Murphy
recorded 160 rebounds, 88 steals and 305 points.

46 | 2018-19 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GUIDE

In 2016-17, Patterson mentored Bri Mitchell, the first First
Team All-OVC performer out of Southeast since Missy Whitney
in 2007-08. Mitchell’s senior season followed a Second Teamcaliber junior season.
Mitchell and fellow 2016-17 senior Olivia Hackmann both
topped the 1,000-point marks in their Redhawk careers. As a
team, Southeast ranked second in the league in assists (479),
fewest turnovers, scoring offense (73.9 points per game), and
3-point shooting percentage (34.9%). Individually, point guard
Adrianna Murphy led the OVC in assists per game (5.8) and
second in total assists (174).
The 2016-17 season was highlighted by conference wins
over UT Martin (Jan. 14), SIUE (Feb. 8), and a home-andhome sweep of Murray State. The win over UT Martin saw
the Redhawks snap a 14-game losing streak to the OVC
powerhouse Skyhawks and the first since the 2008-09
campaign. The sweep of the Racers was also significant for
SEMO as it was the first series win over Murray since the

2004 season. It was also Southeast’s first series sweep over
an opponent since SIUE in 2014. During conference play,
Southeast finished 5-3 on the road.
In her first season as head coach, Patterson guided the
Redhawks to their first winning season in seven years, posting
an even 15-15 overall record and an 8-8 Ohio Valley Conference
record. The Redhawks, who were picked to finish last in the 12team league, finished tied for fifth in Patterson’s first season. In
addition, Southeast punched its ticket to the OVC Tournament
for the first time since 2009 under Patterson’s tutelage.
In their first OVC Tournament appearance in seven years,
the sixth-seeded Redhawks took on No. 3 SIUE. Southeast
ultimately fell to the Cougars, 80-76, but battled hard and took
SIUE to overtime in the first round. The Redhawks had four
players in double-digit points and shot 40 percent as a team,
out-shooting the Cougars by four percentage points in the
game.
Of the eight head coaches in the history of Southeast
Missouri women’s basketball, Patterson became the fourth to
record a winning season in their first year at the helm of the
program.
The 2015-16 campaign began with Southeast winning four
of its first five games. In non-conference play, Southeast picked
up victories over UMKC, Western Illinois, and Missouri Valley
powerhouse Wichita State. SEMO opened OVC play winning
five of its first six league games. Southeast finished the season
going 9-4 at the Show Me Center.
Statistically, the Redhawks ranked 13th nationally in
rebounds per game, averaging 43.4 board per game. That figure
ranked second in the OVC. Southeast’s 28 defensive rebounds
per game ranked 24th nationally, third in the OVC.
In the classroom, Patterson’s 2015-16 team posted eight
players to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll for achieving at
least a 3.25 grade point average. In addition, Ashton Luttrull was
awarded the OVC Medal of Honor for earning a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Patterson was named the eighth head coach in Southeast
Missouri women’s basketball history during a press conference
at the Show Me Center on April 15, 2015.
Patterson is the first female head coach in the NCAA
Division I era for Southeast and fourth female head coach in the
39-year history of the program.
GOSOUTHEAST.COM | 47

Patterson spent the previous two seasons (2013-15) as the
associate head coach at Ball State. She previously worked on the
staffs at Baylor (2002-04, 2009-13), Creighton (2007-08), Ball
State (2006-07) and Eastern Illinois (2004-06).
During her coaching career, Patterson has been on the staff
of programs that have advanced to postseason play in 12 of 14
seasons. She has worked with teams that have won a National
Championship, reached two Final Fours, the Sweet 16 four times
and has been a part of seven Big 12 championships.
Patterson has helped guide Ball State to the WNIT. In 201415, the Cardinals were 13-5 in Mid-American Conference (MAC)
play. In her first season back at Ball State, the Cardinals advanced
to the 2014 MAC Tournament championship game. Ball State
became the first team to ever play five games in a single MAC
Tournament. It was her second stint with the Cardinals after
previously serving as an assistant coach in 2006-07.

A native of Red Springs, North Carolina, Patterson was
a four-year letterwinner and two-time captain in women’s
basketball at North Carolina A&T, where she earned a
bachelor’s degree in public relations in 2001. She received
a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in sport
management from Baylor in 2004.
Her mother, Eva Patterson-Heath, was the head coach of
the Fayetteville State (N.C.) women’s basketball program and
took her team to the NCAA Division II national tournament.
She previously won over 500 games as the head coach at Red
Springs (N.C.) High School.

Patterson is an active member of the Cape Girardeau
community. She serves on the Cape Girardeau Public Library
Board of Directors as of 2017, the Southeast Missouri FCA
Board since 2016, and has been a member of the Chamber
of Commerce since 2015. She has been a guest spearker for
many local civic groups, sports organizations and Chamber
In 2014, Patterson was a participant in the Achieving Coaching of Commerce events. Patterson was also the 2016 keynote
Excellence (ACE) program that is run by the NCAA.
speaker for the Women’s Prayer Breakfast.
Patterson has coached a National Player of the Year (Brittney
Griner), two National Freshmen of the Year, four College AllAmericans, an Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year
(Rachel Galligan) and numerous all-conference performers.
While at Baylor from 2009-13, Patterson was part of the first
women’s basketball team to ever win 40 games as the Lady
Bears posted an unbeaten mark on the way to the national
championship. She spent the 2012-13 season as the associate
coach and recruiting coordinator after working the previous
three years as the coordinator of basketball operations. From
2010-12, Patterson was an assistant coach with the Bears and
was the Coordinator of Operations during the 2008-09 season.
Patterson was an assistant coach at Creighton in 2007-08
when the Bluejays won 21 games, fell one win short of sharing the
Missouri Valley Conference regular season title, and completed
the 15th-best turnaround in the nation that season.
While she was an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois from
2004-06, Patterson was the post coach for Galligan as she
earned the top freshman honor in the OVC.
From 2002-04, Patterson began her coaching career as
a graduate assistant at Baylor. Prior to that, she spent a year
working at the NCAA national headquarters, where she was an
education services intern.

girls basketball coaching experience at the high school level.
She also worked at other Texas prep schools, including Brenham,
William B. Travis, and University. At Brenham, Crutchfield compiled
an overall record of 55-15. She guided the program to its first
District Championship in nine years and back-to-back District
titles for the first time in 12 seasons. Those teams produced two
District Most Valuable Players, one Offensive MVP, two Defensive
MVPs, one Newcomer of the Year, one Most Improved Player, 14
All-District selections, nine Academic All-District honorees, four
All-Brazos Valley, three All-State and three All-Region picks, and
one District 18-4A Coach of the Year accolade.

CHANTÉ CRUTCHFIELD

Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
Fourth Season // Texas-Arlington, 2000
Chanté Crutchfield is in her fourth season as an assistant coach
with the Southeast Missouri women’s basketball program. Crutchfield was promoted to Recruiting Coordinator at the end of the
2017-18 season after landing an impressive class of recruits.
In her first season at Southeast, Crutchfield helped lead the
Redhawks to a 15-15 finish on the season and an 8-8 record in
OVC play, finishing tied for fifth in the 12-team league.
Crutchfield helped mentor guard Bri Mitchell from 2015 to 2017.
Mitchell was named First Team All-OVC in 2016-17 and Second
Team the year prior. She became the first SEMO player to earn
First Team honors since Missy Whitney in 2007-08. Mitchell
became the 18th member of Southeast’s 1,000-Point Club in 201617.
Crutchfield recruited and signed Tesia Thompson, an ESPN Top
100 in the 2017 class. In 2018, Thompson was honored as the OVC
Freshman of the Year, and named to the All-OVC Second-Team
and All-Newcomer Team. This accolade was the first in program
history. Thompson was Southeast’s top scorer as a freshman at
12.8 points per game and ranked second on the team with 5.3
rebounds and 51 steals.
Prior to Southeast, Crutchfield was head coach at Crowley High
School in 2014-15, leading her team to an overall record of 23-8
and 11-3 in district play. She guided her team to its first District
Championship in seven seasons and first playoff win in 10 years.
Crutchfield is now reunited with Crowley athlete, Taelour Pruitt.
She was Pruitt’s head coach and helped Pruitt gain multiple honors
including being named District 8-5A Newcomer and All-Region
First-Team after her freshman season.

Crutchfield had the pleasure of coaching center Teaira
McCowan at Brenham. The highly-recruited McCowan played for
the USA U18 National Team that went on to win gold. McCowan
currently plays at Mississippi State out of the Southeastern
Conference. Her first year she was an SEC All-Freshman Team
selection after averaging 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. In
2016-17, McCowan posted averages of 8.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and
1.5 blocks en route to being voted SEC Sixth Woman of the Year
and helping lead the Bulldogs to the National Championship game
including wins over Baylor and (then) undefeated UConn. This
past season, she posted averages of 18.2 points, 13.9 rebounds,
2.07 blocks and was voted WBCA, ESPNW and AP All- American,
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year SEC Co-Defensive Player of
the Year, SEC All-Defensive Team – 2017-2018 and First Team AllSEC all while returning to the National Championship game again.
She started her head coaching career at William B. Travis
High School, helping the Rebels to an overall 62-54 record, three
consecutive playoff appearances and their first 20-win season in 15
years and was named Coach of the Year twice.
In 2007, Crutchfield served as the Director of Operations for
the Houston Comets out of the WNBA and worked as a basketball
operations coordinator from 2002-05. During this time, Crutchfield
had an opportunity to travel overseas with the USA Women’s
Basketball National Team during their Pre-Olympic Tour in 2004.
Crutchfield was a graduate assistant coach for Kim Mulkey
at Baylor from 2000-02. She helped to lay the foundation of the
program that Baylor has become today and was instrumental in
Baylor making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program
history.
She received her bachelor’s degree in business administrationfinance from Texas-Arlington in 2000 and earned her master’s in
sports management at Baylor in 2002.

A native of Waco, Texas, Crutchfield has seven years of head
GOSOUTHEAST.COM | 49

MORGAN EYE

Assistant Coach
Second Season // Missouri, 2015, 2017
Morgan Eye joined the SEMO women’s basketball staff prior to
the 2017-18 season. She coaches the Redhawk guards and also
assists in all aspects of the program.
In 2017-18, Eye mentored Tesia Thompson, the first to gain
All-OVC Newcomer, All-OVC Second Team and later named
OVC Freshman of the Year honors in the same year.
Thompson ended the season with a team-high 398 points.
She recorded 51 steals and 164 rebounds in her freshman
campaign.
Eye comes to Southeast from the University of Missouri,
her alma mater. She most recently filled the role of Graduate
Student Manager for the Tigers Women’s Basketball team.
During her two years as a graduate manager, Eye was
responsible for opponent film and video breakdown, oversight
of the scout team, position breakdown, marketing for the Tiger
Paws and Show-Me Squad, along with numerous other duties
ranging from team travel to camps.
Eye was a student-athlete for the Tigers from 2011-15. Eye
holds the program record for career (367), season (112) and
single-game (11) 3-pointers. She played in 127 career games (84
starts) and averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists
per contest. She reached double figures in scoring in over 50
games throughout her career.
As a senior in 2014-15, Eye led the SEC with 84 made
3-pointers and was invited to the State Farm College Women’s
3-Point Championship. She tied a WNIT record with nine
3-pointers in a second-round victory at Kansas State.
50 | 2018-19 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GUIDE

Eye finished second nationally with an average of 3.48 threes
per game and sixth in the NCAA with 106 as a junior. During
her sophomore season, she set a program record with 112 shots
from beyond the arc and led the country with an average of 3.5
3-pointers per game. She established a new program record
with 11 baskets from long range vs. Auburn on Jan. 6, 2013.
A native of Montrose, Missouri, Eye was a first-team All-State
performer by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association
and Missouri Sportswriters. She led her team to a perfect 31-0
record and Class 1 state title in 2010. During her prep career,
she set a school record with 2,537 points. She averaged 23.6
points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 4.6 steals per game as a
senior, when she led her team to a 28-1 mark.
Eye earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Mizzou in
May 2015 then earned her masters of Educational, School, and
Counseling Psychology from Mizzou in May 2017.

BROOKE HENGST

Director of Operations
Fourth Season // Southeast Missouri, 2014
Brooke Hengst returns for her fourth season as the women’s basketball Director of Operations. Hengst is responsible for the program budget while serving as academic
coordinator, communications liaison, team travel and
facilities coordinator and supervisor of the team managers.
Prior to her current role with the women’s basketball
team, Hengst served as a graduate assistant for Southeast
Missouri’s Purchasing Card Program. There, she helped
develop and administer training material and served as
the liaison between the university and financial institutions
for the program.
She has her Master of Arts degree from Southeast
Missouri State in High Education Administration. Hengst
graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southeast in May 2014
with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting with an emphasis
on Finance.
As a student, Hengst worked in the Accounts Payable
and Athletics departments while also interning with the
Accounting department.

GOSOUTHEAST.COM | 51

345 rebounds. She made all Second-Team All-Conference
(2015-2016) season and was awarded the top rebounder in
Conference USA (2015-2016) season. She also had the most
double-doubles in a single season. Winborne played in a total of
31 games, averaged 30.5 minutes per game, and had a total of
1.3 blocks per game.

BRITTANY WINBORNE
Graduate Assistant
First Season // UAB, 2016

Brittany Winborne is in her first season as the Graduate Assistant for the Redhawks Women’s Basketball Program. Winborne’s
primary responsibilities will include the following: overseeing
team social media, pre- and post-game film, alumni communication, assisting with student-athlete career planning, coordinating community service, marketing liaison, assisting recruits on
official and unofficial visits and academic coaching.

Winborne comes to Southeast after playing professional basketball for the Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters in Sheffield,
England Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL). During
her season in England, Winborne was selected to the All-Star
Starting five (5) times while averaging a double-double (14.0
ppg) along with (13.4 rpg). Winborne was a Molten WBBL
All-Defensive Team selection while also leading the league in
rebounding. At 6’0, Winborne was not the tallest in the paint,
but her physical presence and work on the glass was spectacular. She was voted by the league as the best post player while
also blocking 1.8 shots per game.
Winborne was a student-athlete for the UAB Blazers from 201216. The Baltimore, Maryland native led the Blazers and Conference USA in double-doubles (10.7 ppg) and (11.1 rpg) during her
senior season. She was ranked 12th nationally in rebounding
along with leading Conference USA in field goal percentage
(.582) and rebounding (11.1). Winborne also recorded the second-highest rebounding total in UAB history with 23 rebound
against Middle Tennessee State, just three rebounds short of
setting a new record.
Winborne earned fifth place in UAB single-season history with
52 | 2018-19 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GUIDE

As a junior, Winborne led the team in rebounds in seven games
and was second on the team with 4.8 rebounds per game. She
had three games with 10 or more rebounds, including a season-high 12 rebounds against Alcorn State. She scored in double figures in three games and recorded a double-double with
10 points and 10 rebounds against Charlotte. Winborne scored
a season-best 14 points in a win over UTSA. Against Rice, Winborne finished with 11 points and matched a career-best three
assists. She played in all 31 games.
Winborne received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from
the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2016. She is working toward her graduate degree in Higher Education with a
concentration in Sports Management at SEMO.

Player Bios
GOSOUTHEAST.COM | 53

2

CARRIE
SHEPHARD
Guard
Redshirt-Senior • 6-1
Steele, Mo.
Missouri

2017-18:
Redshirted.
2016-17:
Redshirted.
2015-16 (MIZZOU):
Played in 15 games… Averaged 0.7 points, 0.5 assists and 0.3 rebounds per
contests… Finished with 11 points, 11 assists, five rebounds and a steal…
Entered the scoring column in five contests… Shot 36% (5-for-14) from the
field… Averaged 1.4 points and 0.5 rebounds during non-conference action…
Notched a season-high three points vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/16)… Tied
career-highs with two rebounds and a steal vs. SIUE (11/24)… Drained lone
3-pointer vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/16)... Saw action in six SEC contests and
in the NCAA Tournament Second Round at Texas (3/21).
2014-15 (MIZZOU):
Saw reserve action in 13 games... Missed 17 games during the middle of
the season with a stress fracture in her shin... Averaged 1.2 points and 6.2
minutes per contest... Scored a season-high seven points vs. UNLV (11/21) in
the Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawai’i... Season-best two steals vs. Loyola
Chicago (12/3)... Played a season-high 16 minutes vs. Southeast Missouri
(11/17)... Shot 6-for-10 from the floor, 1-for-2 from 3-point range and 2-for-7
from the foul line... Participated in the Athletes in Action Ultimate Training
Camp in Fort Collins, Colorado following the season.

HIGH SCHOOL:
Named Miss Show-Me Basketball for South Pemiscot High School in Steele,
Missouri... Two-time Class 2 Player of the Year... McDonald’s All-American
nominee... Four-time all-conference selection... Three-time all-state, alldistrict and all-region honoree... Earned Basketball Stars of America Player
of the Year honors... Named to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association
All-Tournament Team and the U.S. Junior Nationals Gateway Challenge
All-Star Team... Led her team to conference, district and sectional titles as
a sophomore... Averaged 35 points per game during her junior season, once
scoring a career-high 51 points in a game... Led her team to Conference and
District Championship titles in her senior season... All-conference, all-district
volleyball player... Named all-conference on the softball diamond... Participated
in band, Student Activity Council, Mu Alpha Theta and Honor Society Trio.
PERSONAL:
Born Nov. 20, 1995 in Kennett, Missouri... Daughter of Stephen and Edna
Shepard... Graduated from SEMO in May of 2017 in Marketing/Management
... Recruited by Southeast Missouri, Mizzou, Nebraska, Missouri State, and
George Mason out of high school.

2017-18:
Appeared in all 31 games and started in 24... Recorded 305 points on the season with
20 three-pointers... Went 35-53 (.660) from the free-throw line ... Led the team with 168
assists ... Had a team-high 88 steals ... Her 5.2 rebounds per game averaged third best
on the team ... Had a season-high 26 points against Evansville (12/19) and 25 at Ball
State (2/24) ... Nearly recorded a triple-double against Evansville (26 pts, 10 assist, 9
RBs) ... Played a career-high 44 minutes at Morehead State (2/8) ... Tied a career-high
five rebounds against SIUE (2/17) ... Was named 2017-18 OVC Defensive Player of the
Year.

HONORS & AWARDS
HONORS
& AWARDS
2017-18 OVC Defensive
Player of the Year

2016-17:
Finished the regular season as the Redhawks’ assists leader with 172, ranking sixth on
the single-season top-10 list… Started every game as a sophomore… Her 5.5 rebounds
per game ranked third on the team… Also recorded a team-best 64 steals… Finished
with four double-digit assists games and had five or more assists in 18 games… Topped
a career-best with 14 assists against Hannibal-LaGrange (11/14)… Nearly recorded a
triple-double against HLGU, finishing with seven points and nine rebounds… Pulled
in a career-best 11 rebounds against Lipscomb (12/6)… Recorded a career-best 15
points while also grabbing six rebounds with eight assists at SIUE (1/18)… Had a career
night against Murray State (1/25), registering 15 points, 11 rebounds (both tying career
highs), and grabbing a career-best seven steals while also dishing out five assists…
Picked up second double-double in a row at Austin Peay (1/28) finishing with 13 points
and 10 assists.
2015-16:
Played in all 30 contest and started 26 as a true freshman... Dished out 144 assists...
Assists ranked tied for six in a single-season... Averaged 6.1 points and pulled down
5.1 rebounds per game... Picked up a team-high 59 steals (2.0 per game)... Tied a
team-best 6.3 rebounds per game in OVC play... Shot 41.3% from the field... Hit 25-of32 free throws (78.1%)... Dished out six assists against Harris-Stowe (11/16)... Came
off the bench and tallied six points at Alabama A&M (11/18).... In her first career start
at Western Illinois (11/24) Murphy nearly tallied a triple-double, putting up 13 points
with 12 assists and eight rebounds... Picked up her second double-digit point game at
Wichita State (12/4) with 12 points... Pulled down a new career-best nine rebounds at
Morehead State (1/7)... Tied a season-high 13 points against SIUE in the First Round of
the OVC Tournament (3/3)... Member of the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
PREP/CLUB:
Was a four-year starter at Fishers High School... Was named to the Indiana Basketball
Coaches Association (IBCA) Supreme 15 All-State Team featuring the top players
in Indiana and was a 2015 Mini Miss Basketball candidate... Averaged 12.7 points, 5.0
assists and 4.0 rebounds per game as a senior while shooting 43 percent from the
field and 70 percent from the free throw line... In addition to the Supreme 15 honors,
Murphy was an Associated Press all-state honoree and competed for the USA National
Olympic 16U Team in 2013... Was the MVP of the Indiana North vs. South Challenge
and was named her team’s Defensive Player of the Year three times... Set the school
record for assists in a season in 2014-15 and set the single-game assists record as a
freshman... Earned 12 varsity letters as she also competed in cross country and track
and field, where she was an all-conference runner and a member of the 4x400-meter
relay team that finished third in the state.
PERSONAL:
Born June 22, 1997... Daughter of Lee and Nicole Murphy... Majoring in Mass
Communication and Public Relations at Southeast.

2017-18:
Played in 30 games her first season with Southeast... Went 14-22
(.636) from the free-throw line... Recorded 38 points and 37 rebounds.
2016-17:
In two seasons at Pensacola State, Lutaya played power forward
and center for the Pirates... In her first season with the Pirates, she
started 23 games... Pulled in 4.6 boards and scored 6.8 points per
game... As a sophomore, she played in all 28 games... Averaged 3.7
rebounds and 3.9 points per game... Had a career-high 12 rebounds
came in 12 minutes against Tallahassee CC on Jan. 7, 2017... Helped
turn the Pirates around from a 12-18 record in 2015-16 to an 18-10 clip
in 2016-17... At one point, Pensacola was ranked 10th in the NJCAA
poll... Member of the Florida College System Activities Association
Academic Team.
PERSONAL:
Born Dec. 17, 1995... Is a General Studies major at Southeast Missouri...
Has a four-year-old daughter named Happiness.

2016-17:
Missed first seven games of the season due to a leg injury… Played
in 21 total games during the regular season… Scored eight points
against Stephens College (12/4)… Grabbed five boards in OVC opener
against Tennessee Tech (12/29)… Made first career start at Tennessee
State (1/5)… Recorded a career-best seven rebounds to lead the team
against Eastern Illinois (1/21)… Tied her seven-rebound mark against
Austin Peay (2/25)… Recorded first double-digit point game with 10
points against UT Martin (2/18)… Played 20 or more minutes in the
final three games of the regular season.
2015-16:
Saw limited action in her rookie campaign... Played in 18 total games
and averaged 4.7 minutes a game... Picked up a season-high seven
points against William Woods (12/30)... Pulled down a season-high
three rebounds on three separate occasions... Member of the OVC
Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
PREP/CLUB:
Scored 647 points and grabbed 551 rebounds for Roselle Catholic
High School as she was part of a team that recorded the most wins
in program history and set a school record with a 21-game winning
streak to begin her senior season... Helped the Lady Lions advance to
the state sectional final and won a division title... Averaged 10.8 points,
9.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game as a senior... As a junior, she
averaged 10.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest... In AAU
play, Balogun competed for the New Jersey Crusaders... A multi-sport
athlete, she also lettered in cross country and track and field, where
she threw the shot put... Was a four-time scholar-athlete and first
academic honors selection as well as a member of the Principals List,
National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.
PERSONAL:
Born March 25, 1997... Full name is Moriam Dolapo Balogun... Daughter
of Moshood and Titilayo Balogun... Both parents are graduates of the
University of Lagos in Nigeria... Majoring in Dietetics at Southeast... Is
an aspiring author and wishes to start her own sports clothing line.

2017-18:
Played in all 31 games, with 10 starts... Had 62 points and 39
rebounds... Went 10-10 from the free-throw line... Went 4-4 from the
line at Austin Peay (1/6) in five minutes of play.
2016-17:
Played in 17 total games as a true freshman… Missed first five games
due to a leg injury… Had four points and four rebounds in second
career game on Nov. 26 against Alcorn State in 11 minutes off the
bench… Turned in a season-high seven points against Stephens
College (12/4).
PREP:
Four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Dodge City
High School Red Demons... In her career, she has accumulated 833
career points, good enough for second most in school history... Had
355 field goals, 450 rebounds, and 173 steals in her high school
career... Was a two-time Western Athletic Conference Player of the
Year and All-WAC First Team selection... Helped lead her squad to
two WAC Championships with back-to-back undefeated seasons in
conference play... The MVP of her team as a senior, Harshberger led
the Red Demons to a WAC Championship... Harshberger netted 321
points as a senior, the third most in a single season at Dodge City...
She pulled down 127 rebounds, dished out 34 assists, and picked
up 67 steals... She earned Topeka Capital Third Team honors... As
a junior, she scored 267 points on 103 field goals... She tallied 148
rebounds, 35 assists, and 51 steals en route to a Topeka Capital
Honorable Mention... Tallied 157 points, 99 boards, 26 assists, and 35
steals as a sophomore... As a freshman, she had 88 points with 76
rebounds... Also competed in volleyball and track in high school... She
was a four-year state qualifier in track in the 800m and 4x800 relay.

2016-17:
Played in every game of the regular season as a true freshman…
Averaged 8.2 minutes a game… Turned in 14 points in her second
career game on Nov. 14 against Hannibal-LaGrange (11/14) in 24
minutes off the bench… Picked up a season-high five rebounds
against Stephens College (12/4).
PREP:
Four-year starter and letterwinner at Friends’ Central School... As a
junior, McCurdy averaged 18 points, 7.9 assists, and 3.7 steals a game...
Was named team MVP and Captain as a junior... Averaged 17 points
a game as a sophomore and was named the team MVP... Earned her
team’s Most Improved Player award as a freshman... Also participated
in Track & Field during high school.
PERSONAL:
Born July 19, 1998... Majoring in Management Entrepreneurship ...
Daughter of Edward Anthony and Katrina McCurdy.

2017-18:
Played in 23 games, recording three starts as a true
freshman... She had a .522 field goal percentage and
recorded 28 points... Dished out 13 blocks and six steals...
Allen had 38 rebounds, 26 defensive... Her freshman year,
she went 4-6 from the line for a .667 percentage.
PREP:
Three-year letterwinner and senior captain for the Little
Rock Central Tigers and head coach Michael Green... In her
junior season, Allen recorded five points, five rebounds, and
five blocks a game... Her single-game career highs came
in 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks... As a sophomore,
she was responsible for four points, four rebounds, and four
blocks per game.
PERSONAL:
Born March 14, 1999... Daughter of Cornelius and LaRonica
Allen... Studying Early Childhood Development at Southeast
Missouri.

2017-18:
Played in every game as a true freshman with 23 starts... Recorded
398 points with 51 steals, 164 rebounds and 39 assists... Had a teamhigh 118-163 (.724) from the free-throw line... Averaged 12.8 points in
27.2 minutes per game.

HONORS & AWARDS

2017-18 Adidas Athlete of the Week: 1/2/18; 1/16/18; 2/20/18
2017-18 OVC Freshman of the Year
2017-18 All-OVC All-Newcomer Team
2018-19 Preseason All-OVC Team

PREP:
Four-year starter and letterwinner at Hamilton High School... She was
the number five-ranked high school player in Tennessee, an ESPN
Top 100 prospect, and a McDonald’s All-American nominee... She is a
three-time all-district honoree and an all-state and all-region player as
a senior... Also garnered Best of Prep honors 10th through 12th grade...
Averaged 26.5 points per game, 11.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 4.8
steals... Awarded the 2017 Senior Award and Ultimate All-Star MVP for
her efforts on the hardwood... Was the Commercial Appeal Player of
the Week on several occasions... Her club team, Team Penny, won the
Battle of the Boro Championship as Thompson led the squad as the
team MVP... An all-around athlete, she also competed on the Hamilton
volleyball team and was named team MVP as well... In the classroom,
Thompson carried a 3.8 GPA and ranks in the top 20 of her class,
earning a spot on the Distinguished Honor Roll list.
Personal:
Born June 20, 1999... Daughter of Crystal Thompson and Jerome
Taylor...Majoring in Corporate Communications at Southeast Missouri.

2017-18:
Played in 28 games and started in 16…Recorded a total of 143 points,
the fifth most on the team…Had a total of 107 rebounds and 20 steals…
Recorded 44 blocks, most on the team and sixth in the OVC…Had a
season-high 15 points against Evangel (11/24)… Went 6-for-6 from the
free throw line at Murray State (1/4) ... Had 6 blocked shots, and 17
rebounds at Morehead St.
2016-17:
Recorded nine points in 15 minutes off the bench in NCAA debut
against Western Illinois (11/16)… Shut down for the remainder of the
2016-17 season due to a leg injury… Granted Medical Redshirt.
PREP:
Three-year starter and four-year letterwinner at West Memphis
High School out of West Memphis, Arkansas... Saine is a two-time
all-conference performer in the post for West Memphis during her
sophomore and junior campaigns... Averaged five blocks and six
rebounds per game as a junior... As a sophomore, she averaged four
blocks and five rebounds to help lead her team to a conference
championship and an appearance in the state final four.

MOBERLY AREA CC:
Helped lead the Greyhounds to a historic 32-1 season and ranked
fourth in the country ... Sophomore year, averaged 9.6 points, five
rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game ... Named First-Team
All-Region and Second-Team All-MCCAC ... Led the team in steals
and finished second in blocks ... Named Lady Greyhounds Defensive
Player of the Year.
PREP:
The Grand Rapids, Michigan native, was named Freshman of the
Year in both the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and NJCAA
Region 24 the year before at Southeastern Illinois College ... Attended
Southeastern Illinois after prepping at Grand Rapids Christian School.
PERSONAL:
Born Jocelyn Brianna Taylor on November 18 ... Daughter of Stephanie
Nelson-Taylor and Brian Taylor ... Has two older brothers, Jalen and
Juwan, and one older sister Tierra ... Older brother Jalen earned a
scholarship to bowl at Corner Stone University in Grand Rapids,
Michigan ... Majoring in Health Science while at SEMO.

55

CELESTE
AKORO
Center
Sophomore • 6-2
O’Fallon, Ill.
Virginia Tech

VIRGINIA TECH:
Redshirt
PREP:
Tabbed a three-star recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz and ranks 14th
among post players… Was a Southwestern third team all-conference
selection and is a two-time All-State Honorable Mention honoree…
Averaged nine points, nine rebounds and five blocks per game as a
junior… Second Team All-STL/Southern Ill. after leading the region
in blocks… Set an all-time record with 14 blocks in a playoff game…
Played club ball for Best Choice United and led the team to victory at
the Brandon Clay Summer Invitational… Helped the team to the finals
at Deep South Classic… Was a U-17 Olympic Trials finalist in 2016 and
was a third round finalist at the U-16 trials in 2015.
PERSONAL:
Born Celestine Abigale Akoro on June 15, 1999 ... Daughter of Ian and
Melanie Akoro ... Has two siblings, Isabelle and Ben ... Mother played
basketball at Chester High where she still holds the all-time scoring,
rebound and blocks records and went on to play at John Logan and
Pittsburg State ... Father played in Kenya before coming to the U.S. to
compete for Pittsburg State.

PREP:
Four-year letterwinner and four-year starter at Olmsted Falls HS ...
Accumulated 1,405 points as a Bulldog ... Averaged 17.3 points, 5.2
rebounds, 3.5 assists per game and shot 38 percent from beyond the
arch ... Named First-Team All-Conference three times and Third-Team
All-District twice ... Named First-Team All-District and Third-Team AllState ... Helped lead Olmsted Falls to a 2017 District Champion and a
2018 District Runner-Up ... Played AAU with the SMAC program.
PERSONAL:
Born Sarah Elizabeth Balfour on June 26, 2000 ... Daughter of Scott
and Jill Balfour and has one brother, Carson ... Was a four-year
letterwinner in lacrosse and two-year letter winner in cross country...
Majoring in Actuarial Science.

30

BRITTNEY
CUPP
Center
Freshman • 6-3
Lafollette, Tenn.
Bell County HS

PREP:
Four-Year letterwinner that split her time between Bell County
HS and Cumberland Gap HS ... Spent her senior year at Bell
County HS where she averaged 14.1 points and 13.4 rebounds
(5th in state) ... Named the 13th Region Media Girls Breakthough
Player of the Year and 13th Region Coaches Association FirstTeam All-Region and Senior All-Region Team ... Averaged 14.0
points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks as a three-year starter
... Helped Cumberland Gap to their first state tournament
appearance in eight years ... Led Bell County HS to two
Christmas Classic Tournament Championships ... Played AAU
with Dream Elite.
PERSONAL:
Born Brittney Beatrice Cupp on February 10, 2000 ... Daughter
of Rufus and Melinda Cupp ... Has three brothers, Johnathan
Cupp, Jackie Hall and Michael Hall ... Has one sister, Stacy Neff ...
Undecided on her studies at SEMO.

TEAM STATISTICS
SCORING
Points per game
Scoring margin
FIELD GOALS-ATT
Field goal pct
3 POINT FG-ATT
3-point FG pct
3-pt FG made per game
FREE THROWS-ATT
Free throw pct
F-Throws made per game
REBOUNDS
Rebounds per game
Rebounding margin
ASSISTS
Assists per game
TURNOVERS
Turnovers per game
Turnover margin
Assist/turnover ratio
STEALS
Steals per game
BLOCKS
Blocks per game
ATTENDANCE
Home games-Avg/Game
Neutral site-Avg/Game
Score by Periods
Southeast Missouri
Opponents

Opponent
at LOUISVILLE
MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE
vs Saint Francis (Pa.)
at George Mason
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
EVANGEL
BRADLEY
at Cincinnati
at Western Illinois
at Ball State
at Kansas
EVANSVILLE
BELMONT
TENNESSEE STATE
at Murray St.
at Austin Peay
MOREHEAD STATE
EASTERN KENTUCKY
at SIUE
at Eastern Illinois
at Tennessee Tech
at Jacksonville State
MURRAY ST.
AUSTIN PEAY
at Morehead State
at UT Martin
EASTERN ILLINOIS
SIUE
at Eastern Kentucky University
UT MARTIN
vs UT Martin

History Notes:
Southeast moved to Division I prior to the 1991-92 season.
^ = One win came via opponent forfeit. Southeast picked up the win as a team, but Ed Arnzenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
coaching record was 11-17 that season.
* = All wins in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons were vacated due to NCAA sanctions.
Southeast vacated OVC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2005-06
season.
Records unavailable prior to 1975-76 season.
&
= Assistant coach Heather Ezell was credited with the 66-38 victory over Alabama A&M on
Nov. 14, 2014 while serving as acting head coach.

*-Denotes that Southeast Missouri vacated
all wins in the 2004-05 and 2005-06
seasons. The all-time record shows accurate
record after wins were revoked. Team was
cited for four season (2002-03, 2003-04,
2004-05, 2005-06).

Now in its 71st year, the Ohio Valley
Conference continues to build on the
success that has made it the nation’s
eighth-oldest NCAA Division I conference.
In May 2011 the Conference expanded
for the second time in four years,
adding Belmont University which began
competition in the 2012-13 academic year.
The addition of Belmont gave
the OVC 12 members, the most
the league has had at one time
in its illustrious history. The move
added a second team in the city of
Nashville and was the first addition
to the league since Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville
joined in 2008. Subsequently, the
league has shown its stability over
the past decade, seeing only one
member institution depart over the
past 18 years.
The 2009-10 school year
saw a change in leadership as
Beth DeBauche was named the
seventh full-time Commissioner
in league history on July 28, 2009.
The last three commissioners of
the OVC have moved onto jobs as the
commissioner of the Big Ten, Big 12 and
the Mid-American Conferences.
The OVC’s proud history dates back
to 1948, but seeds for the new league
were actually planted in 1941. It was
then that Roy Stewart, the athletics
director at Murray State, Charles “Turkey”
Hughes, the athletics director at Eastern
Kentucky, and Kelly Thompson, the public
relations director at Western Kentucky,
first broached the idea of forming a new
conference. Discussions were put on hold
by World War II, but reemerged February
27-28, 1948 at the Kentucky Hotel in
Louisville as the three original institutions
combined with Morehead State, Louisville
and Evansville to form the OVC.
124 | 2018-19 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GUIDE

In the 1950s, the OVC became a pioneer
on a much more significant scale socially.
During times of racial segregation, league
member Morehead State became one
of the first non-traditionally black midsouthern institutions to accept a black
student. In 1958 Marshall Banks earned
athletically-related aid at Morehead, which
signed a second black athlete, Howard
Murphy, a year later. In 1961 Murphy
earned all-conference recognition as a
halfback in football. With racial barriers
broken, the rest of the institutions in the
league began to provide educational
and athletic opportunities to African-

Americans.
After Title IX legislation passed in 1972,
women’s athletics began a rebirth on
the national scene as the NCAA began
sponsoring and marketing women’s sports.
Recognizing the need to provide increased
opportunities for female athletes, the
OVC began formulating plans for women’s
athletics in 1975 and established women’s
championships in the sports of basketball,
tennis and track in 1977, with cross country
and volleyball added over the next four
years. Those sports were initially governed
by the Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics for Women (AIAW), but the
overall strength of women’s programs
in the league was demonstrated by the
automatic bids the OVC instantly received

when the NCAA became the governing
body in 1982. The conference added
women’s golf and softball in 1994 and
women’s soccer in 1998.
Football wasn’t the only sport
in which the OVC was quickly gaining
respect. In 1955, the OVC became only the
second six-member league nationally to
earn an automatic bid to the prestigious
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament,
which, at that time, was limited to only
24 participants. The Conference quickly
proved worthy of that bid, as Morehead
State defeated Marshall (107-92)
and Wayne State (95-84) in the 1956
tournament.
Fifteen years later, former OVC
member Western Kentucky
became the first and only
Conference team to reach the
Final Four. The Hilltoppers
defeated Jacksonville, Kentucky
and Ohio State before losing
to Villanova in double overtime
in the national semifinals. WKU
went on to finish in third place
after beating Kansas 77-75 in the
consolation game.
Since that time, the OVC has
recorded some of the biggest
upsets in the history of the NCAA
Tournament. Perhaps the most
famous moment came in 1987,
when Austin Peay came from
fourth place in the regular season to
win the OVC Tournament and earn the
league’s automatic bid. The Governors
drew powerful Illinois, and were such big
underdogs, that ESPN broadcaster Dick
Vitale promised to stand on his head if
APSU won the game. After a 68-67 victory
over the Illini, and a narrow 90-87 overtime
loss to eventual Final Four participant
Providence in the second round, Vitale
made good on his promise in a visit to
Clarksville two months later.
Murray State added to the OVC’s string
of upsets in 1988 when it knocked off 14thranked North Carolina State, 78-75. The
Racers’ M&M Boys - Jeff Martin and Don
Mann - combined for 39 points in the win.
MSU nearly went on to the Sweet 16 that

year, losing to eventual national champion
Kansas, 61-58. A bank shot by Mann that
would’ve given the Racers a one-point lead
rolled off the rim with three seconds left. In
1990 as a No. 16 seed, Murray State took
No. 1 seed Michigan State into overtime
before falling 75-71; that game still marks
the closest a No. 16 seed has come to
knocking off a No. 1 in men’s tournament
action. More recently, Murray State has
dominated the OVC Tournament, reaching
the championship game every year in the
1990’s. The Racers’ 15 OVC Tournament
Championships are the most among all
OVC schools.
After former member Middle Tennessee
State won a first round game in 1989, the
league had a drought as no other OVC
team won a NCAA Tournament game for
the next 19 years. But Morehead State,
coming off a thrilling double overtime OVC
Tournament victory over Austin Peay,
topped Alabama State 58-43 in the 2009
Opening Round game at University of
Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The game
was played in front of an Opening Round
record crowd of 11,346 and included many
MSU fans who made the three-hour drive
from Morehead for the game.
In 2009-10, Murray State made OVC
history by winning a record 31 games
(31-5) on its way to the league’s regular
season and tournament championships. In
the first round of the NCAA Tournament,
the No. 13 seed Racers topped Vanderbilt
in thrilling fashion when senior Danero
Thomas hit a jumper as time expired to lift
MSU to a 66-65 victory. It marked the first
OVC team to advance to the second round
of the NCAA Tournament since 1989 and
snapped a skid of 71-straight loses to
Southeastern Conference foes (dating
back to 2000-01). In the second round, the
Racers pushed eventual national runnerup Butler to the brink before losing 54-52.
In 2010-11 Morehead State would make
it three NCAA Tournament wins in as
many years for the league and got a bit
of revenge for the 2009 tournament loss
to Louisville in the process. After finishing
second in the regular season and winning
the OVC Tournament Championship, the

No. 13 seeded Eagles were shipped to
Denver to play the in-state foe Cardinals.
MSU jumped out to a 15-2 advantage but
were down four points (61-57) with just
over a minute to play in regulation. After
two free throws from two-time OVC Player
of the Year Kenneth Faried, the Eagles
held for one final shot attempt and senior
Demonte Harper pulled up off a cross-over
dribble to nail a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds
left that gave Morehead State a 62-61
lead. UofL had one last attempt but Faried
blocked the Cardinals last shot, giving
MSU the win, its first over Louisville since
the 1956-57 season.
In 2011-12 Murray State put together
one of the greatest seasons in OVC history,
beginning the year 23-0 (an all-time OVC
best) and being ranked as high as No. 7
in the coaches poll on Feb. 6. The squad
was the first OVC team to be nationallyranked since Murray State was ranked in
1997-98; in addition, the top 10 ranking
was the first for an OVC team since the
1970-71 campaign (WKU). The Racers
would top nationally-ranked Memphis
and Saint Mary’s during the season and
win the league’s regular season and
tournament championships. MSU earned
a No. 6 seed in NCAA Tournament, the
highest-ever seed for an OVC team since
the NCAA began seeding the field in 1979.
The Racers would top Colorado State
58-41 in the second round before falling to
Marquette in the third round. Murray State
would win 31 games overall, tying the OVC
all-time record the Racers set in 2009-10.
After the Murray State win in 2011-12,
the league had won NCAA Tournament
games in four-straight seasons, something
that had never happened in league history
(three-game winning streaks from 196062 and 1987-89 had been the previous
best streaks). Over that time period
(2009-12) the OVC was one of just nine
conferences nationally to win a NCAA
Tournament game in each season and one
of only three non-BCS leagues (joining the
Atlantic 10 and WCC) to do so.
In 2013-14 Murray State won five
games to claim the CollegeInsider.com
Postseason Tournament (CIT) and in

the process became the first OVC men’s
basketball team to ever play games in the
month of April.
The 2014-15 season saw five OVC men’s
basketball teams earn postseason bids,
the most in league history, and a year later
(2015-16) that number was eclipsed with
six teams making national postseason
tournaments. Entering 2017-18 OVC
men’s basketball teams have at least one
national postseason tournament victory
in nine-straight postseasons, an all-time
league record.
In 2007-08, UT Martin guard Lester
Hudson became the first men’s Division
I player to record a quadruple-double in
a game, when he registered 25 points,
12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in
a victory over Central Baptist College.
Hudson, who ranked fourth in scoring
nationally as a junior, returned for his
senior season in 2008-09 and was second
nationally in scoring (behind Davidson’s
Stephen Curry) at 27.5 points a contest.
Hudson earned numerous honors
(including OVC Player of the Year and
OVC Male Athlete of the Year in each
2008 and 2009 and All-American status
from several outlets) before being drafted
by the Boston Celtics with the No. 58 pick
of the 2009 NBA Draft.
During the 2010-11 year, Faried, the
nation’s leading rebounder during the
season, became the NCAA’s Modern Era
(since 1973) career rebounding leader,
totaling 1,673 rebounds which passed Tim
Duncan for the record (he is 11th all-time
in NCAA history). Faried also finished his
career with 86 double-doubles, second
all-time to only Duncan. He is one of
only six players in NCAA history to finish
with 2,000-plus career points (2,009)
and 1,600-plus career rebounds. Faried
was drafted 22nd overall by the Denver
Nuggets in the 2011 NBA Draft, becoming
the first OVC player selected in the first
round since Tennessee State’s Carlos
Rogers 1994.
Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan,
a first-team All-American in 2011-12,
capped his illustrious career in 2012-13
by becoming just the 17th player in OVC
GOSOUTHEAST.COM | 125

history to score 2,000 or more career
points. Canaan, who was a key part of
Murray State NCAA Tournament victories
in both 2010 and 2012, earned a pair of
OVC Player of the Year honors (2012 and
2013) during his career as well as being
named OVC Freshman of the Year (2010),
OVC Tournament MVP (2010) and OVC
Male Athlete of the Year (2012). He was
drafted by the Houston Rockets with the
34th overall pick (No. 2 pick of the second
round) of the 2013 NBA Draft.
In 2014-15 Murray State became just
the fifth OVC men’s team to complete a
perfect Conference season (16-0). The
Racers were led by sophomore Cameron
Payne who was named OVC Men’s
Basketball Player of the Year, OVC Male
Athlete of the Year and earned third-team
All-American honors from CBSSports.
com. Following the season Payne declared
for the NBA Draft, becoming the first
sophomore in OVC history to do so and
one of just four OVC players all-time to
enter and stay in the draft with eligibility
remaining. Payne was selected in the
lottery by the Oklahoma City Thunder
(pick No. 14 overall), making him just the
ninth First Round NBA Draft pick in OVC
history.
Austin Peay made history in winning the
2016 OVC Men’s Basketball Tournament
as the Governors became the first No. 8
seed to claim the championship. APSU
had to win its two regular season games
just to qualify for the event and then won
four games in four days to capture its fifth
tournament crown. Along the way the
Govs topped a No. 5 seed, No. 4 seed, No.
1 seed and No. 2 seed and were paced
by MVP Chris Horton who averaged 22.5
points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists/game
during the event including a 37-point,
21-rebound and 30-point, 16-rebounds
performance during the run.
In 2016, former Belmont All-American
and 2012-13 OVC Co-Player of the Year
Ian Clark became the first former OVC
player to advance to the NBA Finals since
former Tennessee State star Anthony
Mason played for the New York Knicks
in 1994. Clark was part of a Golden State
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Warriors team that won an NBA record 73
regular season games but lost in Game 7
of the Finals. A year later, Clark was part of
the Warriors team that topped Cleveland
to win the 2017 NBA Championship,
becoming the first OVC player to win the
crown since 1970-71 (Murray State’s Dick
Cunningham and Western Kentucky’s
Greg Smith with the Milwaukee Bucks).
Belmont’s Evan Bradds finished his
career in 2016-17 with a 66.7 career field
goal percentage, tops in OVC history and
fourth all-time in Division I history. Bradds
capped his career with back-to-back
OVC Player of the Year awards in addition
to being named 2016-17 OVC Co-Male
Athlete of the Year.
Through its 70 years, 13 teams have
won or shared the league’s regular season
men’s basketball title. Murray State
heads the list with a Conference-record
25 outright or shared basketball crowns.
Other past champions include former
member Western Kentucky (19), Morehead
State (9), Austin Peay (8), Eastern
Kentucky (6), Tennessee Tech (5), former
member Middle Tennessee (5), Belmont
(4), Tennessee State (2), former member
East Tennessee State (2), Southeast
Missouri State (1), UT Martin (1) and
former member Akron (1).
Among the coaching greats in men’s
basketball have been Western Kentucky’s
E.A. Diddle, who retired with 759 victories
and 10 OVC titles; John Oldham, who was
a member of the very first All-OVC squad
and went on to win seven OVC crowns
during his coaching tenure at Tennessee
Tech and Western Kentucky; Paul
McBrayer, who guided Eastern Kentucky
to 219 wins and three OVC crowns; and
Cal Luther, who is the only person in
Conference history to win men’s basketball
Coach of the Year honors at two league
schools - Murray State and UT Martin.
Following the 2016-17 season, Austin
Peay’s Dave Loos retired as the winningest
coach in OVC history (he passed Luther
for that crown in 2009-10). Loos, a fivetime OVC Coach of the Year, finished his
career with 420 wins in 27 years at Austin
Peay (including a 258-194 OVC record)

and 502 total wins in 31 years as a head
coach. Loos was inducted into the OVC
Hall of Fame in 2018.
There have been an equal number
of great players including Western
Kentucky’s Clem Haskins, who is the only
three-time OVC Player of the Year. Several
players have won OVC Player of the Year
honors twice: Western Kentucky’s Jim
McDaniels (1969-70 and 1970-71), Murray
State’s Les Taylor (1971-72, 1972-73),
Jeff Martin (1987-88, 1988-89), Popeye
Jones (1989-90, 1990-91) and Marcus
Brown (1994-95, 1995-96), Austin Peay’s
Otis Howard (1976-77, 1977-78), Middle
Tennessee’s Jerry Beck (1980-81, 1981-82),
Akron’s Joe Jakubick (1982-83, 1983-84),
Tennessee State’s Carlos Rogers (199293, 1993-94), UT Martin’s Lester Hudson
(2007-08, 2008-09), Morehead State’s
Kenneth Faried (2009-10, 2010-11) and
Murray State’s Isaiah Canaan (2011-12,
2012-13).
The OVC also has the honor of being
the only conference to boast the nation’s
leaders in scoring, rebounding and
assists all in one season. That feat was
accomplished in 1991-92 by Morehead
State’s Brett Roberts (28.1 ppg), Murray
State’s Popeye Jones (14.4 rpg) and
Tennessee Tech’s Van Usher (8.8 apg).
In 2018, the OVC once again served
as host for the NCAA Division I Men’s
Basketball Championship First and Second
Rounds at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
It marked the fourth-time the OVC served
as hosts of the event (2000, 2005, 2012
and 2018).
Tennessee Tech has won or shared
18 regular-season women’s basketball
championships in addition to nine OVC
Tournament crowns; both are tops in
OVC history. UT Martin added its name
to the list of championship by capturing
its first OVC Tournament title in 2011 and
also winning championships in 2012, 2013
and 2014. The Skyhawks became just the
fourth team in OVC history (and first since
Austin Peay from 2000-03) to win fourstraight tournament titles. In 2016 Belmont
won its first-ever OVC Tournament
Championship, a feat it repeated in 2017

and 2018.
Several coaches have made their mark
in the history of OVC women’s basketball.
Former Tennessee Tech coach Marynell
Meadors posted an amazing 363-139
(72.3%) record at Tech, becoming the
first woman in NCAA or AIAW history to
win 300 games at the same institution,
while former Tennessee State skipper
Teresa Phillips earned National Coach
of the Year honors from USA Today in
1990 for turning around the Lady Tigers’
program before going on to lead TSU
to the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and
1995. Tennessee Tech coach Bill Worrell
capped a stellar 20-year career in 200506 and was inducted into the OVC Hall
of Fame in 2007; he compiled a 408-190
record while leading the Golden Eagles
to an unprecedented 16 OVC regularseason titles and eight NCAA Tournament
appearances, including five straight from
1989-93. Larry Joe Inman, who retired at
the conclusion of the 2007-08 season and
was inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame in
2009, won more than 100 games at both
Middle Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky,
and earned OVC Coach of the Year
honors a record eight times - five times
at EKU and three at MTSU. In 2012-13
Inman came out of retirement to take the
Tennessee State job; in 2014-15 he led the
Lady Tigers to its first OVC Tournament
Championship since 1995. Inman once
again retired following the 2016-17 season,
with 545 career victories.
Many great players have graced the
hardwood over the years, including former
OVC Players of the Year Brooke Armistead
and Gerlonda Hardin from Austin Peay,
Pam Chambers, Jerilynn Harper, Cheryl
Taylor, Angela Moorehead, Roschelle
Vaughn, Diane Seng, Janet Holt and Emily
Christian from Tennessee Tech; Morehead
State’s Donna Murphy, Priscilla Blackford
and Chynna Bozeman; Eastern Kentucky’s
Kim Mays; Southeast Missouri’s Gray C.
Harris; Murray State’s Ashley Hayes; and
UT Martin’s Heather Butler and Jasmine
Newsome.
Morehead State center Brittany
Pittman set new school, league and NCAA

standards for blocked shots in 2008-09.
Pittman swatted 164 shots during the
season, setting a new NCAA single-season
record (which has since been broken).
In 2012-13 the UT Martin duo of Jasmine
Newsome and Heather Butler finished fifth
and sixth nationally among NCAA scoring
leaders. Newsome, the 2012 and 2013 OVC
Player of the Year, averaged 22.6 points
per game on the way to All-American
honors while Butler averaged 22.4 points
per contest. Butler set a NCAA record
during the season by connecting on a
3-pointer in her 80th-straight game.
In 2013-14 Butler and Newsome capped
their brilliant careers by ranking first and
second in scoring in OVC history. Butler,
the 2013-14 OVC Female Athlete of the
Year, finished her career with 2,865 points,
which ranked first in OVC and 16th in
NCAA history. She also finished her career
with 392 career 3-pointers (which was tied
for the most in NCAA history following
her career but now ranks second) and
scored in double figures in all 129 career
games, which ranks fifth in NCAA history.
Following the season Butler was signed by
the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars where she
became the first OVC player to make an
active WNBA roster. Newsome capped her
career with 2,566 points, second only to
Butler in OVC history.
The league also had another historical
moment in November 2008 when the
NCAA awarded Nashville the 2014 NCAA
Women’s Division I Final Four. The OVC
served as the host of the prestigious
event, which is one of the biggest sporting
events the city of Nashville can host. The
event was held April 6 & 8 at Bridgestone
Arena in downtown Nashville and was
played in front of sold-out crowds for
both the semifinals and championship as
UConn topped Notre Dame in a battle of
undefeated teams to win its ninth national
title.
In 2017-18, Belmont completed its
second-straight undefeated league
season, increasing its winning streak in
Conference games (both regular season
and tournament) to 46 games. The Bruins
were ranked in both the USA Today

Coaches Poll and Associated Press Poll
during the year, becoming the first OVC
team to be nationally-ranked since 199293. The Bruins finished the year ranked No.
23 in the AP poll.
Over its 70 years, OVC teams have
garnered national championships and bowl
games in football, along with national team
or individual titles in the sports of rifle,
cross country, track and golf.
The OVC has also produced several
Olympic athletes, including Murray State’s
Morgan Hicks, who was a member of the
2004 United States Olympic Rifle Team
and Morehead State’s Brian Shimer who
competed in five Winter Olympics in
bobsled (winning a bronze medal in 2002)
and coached the 2010 United States
bobsled team to its first gold medal since
1948. Former Morehead State football and
Eastern Kentucky track and field athlete
Dallas Robinson competed with the U.S.
bobsled team during the 2014 Sochi
Winter Olympics. In addition, some of the
greatest players in professional sports
were educated at OVC institutions. The list
includes former greats such as football’s
Phil Simms (Morehead State) and Tony
Romo (Eastern Illinois), basketball’s Clem
Haskins (Western Kentucky) and Bubba
Wells (Austin Peay) and two-sport star
Steve Hamilton (Morehead State) to
present-day standouts like basketball
player Kenneth Faried (Morehead State)
and Robert Covington (Tennessee
State), football player Jimmy Garoppolo
(Eastern Illinois) and baseball players
A.J. Ellis (Austin Peay) and Shawn Kelley
(Austin Peay). Hamilton is the only athlete
to ever play in the NCAA Basketball
Championship, a Major League Baseball
World Series (New York Yankees) and an
NBA Championship Series (Los Angeles
Lakers).
The playing field is not the only
place where OVC athletes are working
hard. The league also recognizes
excellence in the classroom. Six ScholarAthlete Awards are presented yearly to
male and female athletes, while others are
commended for their academic success by
being Medal of Honor recipients or earning
GOSOUTHEAST.COM | 127

a spot on the Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Additionally, the league annually presents
one institutional Academic Achievement
Award, as well as separate team awards in
each Conference-sponsored sport. Since
the College Sports Information Directors
of America (CoSIDA) Academic AllAmerica program began, the Ohio Valley
Conference has had 275 student-athletes
honored with the award, including 81 over
the last eight years (2010-18).
Through the early years of the
league, administrators wrestled with fan
behavior due to the close proximity of
the Conference members and the intense
rivalries which developed. Just as it did
decades ago, the OVC took the leadership
role on what has become a national issue.
In 1995, the OVC implemented a first-ofits-kind “Sportsmanship Statement,” a
policy which promotes principles of fair
play, ethical conduct and respect for one’s
opponent. The statement has become
a model for others to follow across the
nation and has answered the challenge
of the NCAA Presidents Commission
to improve sportsmanship in collegiate
athletics.
Additionally, the OVC annually presents
the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship
Award, in honor of the former Morehead
State student-athlete, coach and
athletics director, to a junior or senior
student-athlete with significant athletic
contributions who best exemplifies the
characteristics of sportsmanship and
citizenship. Most recently, the Conference
has also implemented the OVC
Institutional and Team Sportsmanship
Awards, which are presented to one
institution and 18 sport-specific teams
voted by their peers to have best exhibited
the standards of sportsmanship and
ethical conduct as outlined by the OVC
and NCAA.
The vision of leadership demonstrated
by the Founding Fathers in 1948 remains
alive today as the Ohio Valley Conference
prepares for the future. One example is in
regard to the current trend in collegiate
athletics administration for increased
involvement of university presidents in
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setting policies and making rules. The
presidents of OVC institutions, however,
have always governed the Conference,
long before presidential governance
became a national theme.
The Ohio Valley Conference sponsors
the following sports: baseball, basketball,
cross country, football, golf, tennis and
track for men, and basketball, cross
country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track
and volleyball for women. In addition, the
OVC also sponsors the combined men’s
and women’s sport of rifle.
Now in its seventh decade of
competition, the Ohio Valley Conference
has grown significantly from its humble
beginnings while increasing the number
of athletics opportunities it provides for
students. Current league representatives
include charter members Eastern
Kentucky University, Morehead State
University and Murray State University,
along with Austin Peay State University,
Belmont University, Eastern Illinois
University, Jacksonville State University,
Southeast Missouri State University,
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
Tennessee State University, Tennessee
Technological University and the
University of Tennessee at Martin.
Updated June 2018

The Ohio Valley Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball
Championships presented by VisitMyrtleBeach.com, will be held March
6-9 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
This marks the second-straight year the event will be held at the venue.
The Ford Center, which opened in 2011, is a 11,000-seat arena located
in the core of Evansville’s downtown district. The 290,000-square foot
facility serves as home of the Evansville Thunderbolts of the Southern
Professional Hockey League. The Ford Center has serves as host to
numerous sporting events and concerts on an annual basis.
Last year No. 1 Murray State topped No. 2 Belmont on the men’s side to
capture its 16th OVC Tournament crown and first since 2012, while No. 1
Belmont bested No. 2 UT Martin to win its third-straight OVC Women’s
Tournament Championship.